Vapor-converter.



P. c. HBWITT.

VAPOR CONVERTER.

APPLICATION I'ILBD JULY 19, 1911.

AIR BLAST i .WITNESSES: INI/ff! T01? l1 TTOHWEY n srafrns PATE 'v rrrc.

PETER COOPER HEWITT, 0F RINGWOOD OR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO COOPER HEWITT@ ELECTRIC COMPANY, 0F EOBOKEN, ,NEW

JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY'.

VAPOR-CONVERTER miento.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 115, 19.14.

original application filed March 20, v1908, Serial No. 422,218. RenewedFebruary l0, 1911, Serial No. 607,874. Divided and this application ledJuly 19,' 1911. Serial No. 639,258.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, PETER COOPER Hnwrr'r, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Ringwood Manor, county ofPassaic, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vapor-ACmverters, of which the following is'aspeciication;

`Vapor converters or rectiers capable of rectifying currents ofconsiderable magnitude are' well-known and commercially used. Suchconverters usually consist of glass bulbs having lead wires passingthrough them and carrying the current to electrodes within the bulbs. at

To provide converters of larger capacity than those now invcommercialuse, it is desirable to construct the converter bulbs in such form as todispense.: with the requirement for blowing large glass bulbs, and alsoto dispense with the necessity of passing conducting-leads through theglass walls of such bulbs.

it is further desirable to construct the device of such material thatthe heat generated within the device during its operation may be rapidlyand eliiciently dissipated or abstracted.

I have devised a converter wherein the cooling of the apparatus may beeffected without the employment of large bulbs of glass or similarmaterial and wherein contact leads from outside to inside of theapparatus are unnecessary, dilerent portions I of the shell of theapparatus acting as portions of the electrodes.

One convenient form of my invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, which is an elevation of my improved converter.

ln this embodiment of the apparatus hollow positive electrodes, 1 and 2,of metal, are illustrated as being connected by bent tubes, 3 and 1,with a metallic receptacle, 5, containing mercury, 6, or other liquidconductor. The mercury may be said to constitute the negative electrodeof the converter, while the receptacle, 5, may serve as an easy means ofconnecting the said .electrode with the source of electric current bymeans of a suitable lead, 30, extending from a binding post, 31, formedon the receptacle.

l prefer to make the bent tubes, 3 and 4, of metal, although they may beof quartz or porcelain.

The electrodes, 1 and 2, are hollow bulbs where insulating rings, 32 and33, and an 1nsulating tube, 34, serve to protect each of the clampingbolts, 35, 35, from contact with 'the metal of the flanges, 36 and 3f?.rlhe same sort of connection may exist between the lower ends of thebent tubes, 3 and 4t,

f and the metallic receptacle, 5, but this latter joint is not alwaysessential, or there may be a number of these joints as the case mayrequire. This receptacle, 5, is also bulbous in shape at its centralportion and is provided with tubular extensions by means of whichconnection is made through insulating flange or other joints, 38 and 39,with l the lower ends of the bent tubes, 3 and t, as

, mercury electrode.

already described.

It will be observed that the different parts of the shell or walls ofthe converter vessel or container form part of the circuit of theconverter, the parts, 1 and 2, constituting the positive electrodes andthe part 5 being in intimate connection with the negative When arectifier is constructed in the manner described herein, there is nonecessity for the lead wires being conducted into or through any part ofthe apparatuaunless the supplemental positive electrode hereinafter tobedescribed should be used, in which case its lead wire can pass throughthe body of the metallic receptacle, 5, and be insulated therefrom.Thejleads may simply be connected to the exterior of the bulbs, 1, 2 and5, say by means4 of the 'binding posts, 31, 40 and 41, without pass ingthrough or into the apparatus.

The capacity of the rectifier may be varied by varying the size of theseveral electrodes and the diameter of the `connecting tubes. Forexample, with the positive electrodes, 1 and 2, made in the form ofhollow bulbs,

each having a diameter of six inches, and

with the bulbous portion of the metallic receptacle, 5, having adiameter of eight inches, and with connecting tubes each twelve incheslong and three inches interna-l diameter, a rectifier may be producedhaving a capacity for handling currents of large quantity, while bysubstituting for-the parts named others having larger dlametricmeasurements, the capacity of the rectifier may be still furtherincreased. These effects may be aided by artificial cooling;

The supplemental positive electrode, 9, may be supported in proximity tothe negative electrode, 6, for startingY purposes the mode of startingby tilting the apparatus so as to bring these electrodes into contactand then vseparate them, being now a matter of general knowledge. 1talso may be started by raising and lowering the negative electrode bythe receptacle.

f joints,

The lead wire, 10, connected with the electrode, 9, may pass through themetallic receptacle, 5, and be insulated therefrom, say by a suitableinsulated bush-ing, 11.

A Acuum pump, 12, may be applied to the device or several bulbs by meansof the tubing, 13, 14, provided with insulating 42, 43 and 44. By thesemeans the objectionable vapors generated during the operation of therectifier may be drawn out by the pump. -nasmuch as the mercury vaporthus drawn out may be needed after condensation in order to replenishthe losses at the negative electrode the pump may be discharged througha pipe, .16, into an open receptacle, 17, from which the vapors1njurious to the operation of the apparatus may escape, while thecondensed mercury vapor may return lin the form of mercury through atube, 18, up into the receptacle, thereby replenishing the losses of thenegativeelectrode, 6. By making the tube, 18, of appropriate length, say29 inches plus,

the upper surface of the mercury may bel maintained at the proper heightwithin the receptacle, 5, by atmospheric pressure, and

this may be adjusted by movement of the vessel, 17.

The several electrodes may be connected in the usual way to analternating current source, the anodes or positive electrodes beingjoined, for instance, to the terminals of a transformer secondary, 19,and the negative electrode being joined through `a load circuit, 45,containing translating devices, 46, 46, to an intermediate neutralpoint, 20, on the said secondary. The primary of the transformer isshown at 21. At 22 is shown a source of current, the terminals of thesource being connected to the lead, 10, and to a binding post, 47, onthe wall ofthe receptacle, 5, which contains the negative electrode, 6.

The tube, 18, may, if desired, be supplied with a check-valve or othervalve for'preventing the outflow of mercury from the receptacle, 5, suchcheck-valve being illustrated at 48. To coole-the apparatus I may .makeuse of any suitable cooling means,

such as an air-blast, 49,'or I may use liquid cooling means. c

Respectlng the structure herein described other and are preferablycomposed of material having a high heat conductivity, and that the meansare supplied for abstracting from the devioe the heat generated duringits operation. Moreover, the positive electrodes are of such materialand present such an amount of surface as to cause minimum resistance tothe transition of current from the electrode to the vapor, while thenegative electrode is of such a character as to permit a change of stateor condition necessary at such electrode with but small loss of electricenergy and is capable of repairing itself and compensating for suchloss, and

being continually restored to its originall condition by its nature andsurroundings, Means for maintaining the negative electrode are shown inthe present application. Still further the vapor columns themselves areof such a sha e as tend to prevent the danger of short c1rcuitingbetween any two positive electrodes.

The tubular structure connected with the pump may be crooked, as shown,and of small bore so as to increase the resistance to the passage ofcurrent between the electrodes by this path.

This application is a d-ivision of my application Serial Number 422,218,filed March 20th, 1908, renewal Serial Number 607,874, filed ,February10th, 1911.

I claim asmy inventionit will be noted that`the sections of the conilverter or rectifier are insulated from each 1. A rectifier foralternating current, comof good conducting material as the electrodes,and hollow.. ortions of quartz connecting the electro e portions andsecured thereto, the whole forming an hermetically sealed container.

2. A mercury vapor apparatus comprising an exhausted container and aliquid cathode therein, said apparatusbeing exhausted to prising acontainer having separated parts a high degree of purity, and arelatively long downwardly projectlng tubular connection between saidcathode and the atmosphere, in combination with means for starting afiow of current in said apparatus, said means including a supplementalanode and means for temporarily raising the level of the cathode intocontact with said supplemental anode. n

3. A mercury vapor apparatus comprising an exhausted container and aliquid cathode therein, said apparatus being exhausted to a high degreeof purity, Aand a relatively long downwardly projecting tubularconnection between said cathode andthe atmosphere, in combination withmeans for starting a flow of current in said apparatus, said meansincluding a supplemental anode and means for temporarily raising thelevel of New York and'State of New York this 18th the calthodedinto(ollitact withdsaid suppleday of July A. D. 1911. menta ano e, sai astname means consisting of an open'receptacle inclosing one PETER COOPERHEWITT' 5A end of said tubular connection to the atmos- Witnesses:

phere. f L. A. COLEMAN, Signed at New York in the county of R. B.Hnwn'r.

